Catamenial tampon



Feb. 1, 1944.

A. B.DoNovAN CATAMENIAL TAMPON Filed Dec. 7, 1940 COHT/NG COHT//VGINVENTOR. HRT/WUR B. 00A/@VHN BY@ @YM Patented Feb. 1, 1944`cA'rznvrlirimI..l'rAMroN Arthur B. DonovanQBostomMass. v m ApplicationDecember 7.1940',srialrNasesps c claims.l (c1. `12s-,Laan

My invention relates to tampons and, more particularly, to an improvedcatamenialtampon provided with a coating of novel composition, and to amethod for manufacturing the same.

Tampons have been in use for many `years for absorbing discharges andsecretions from body cavities. Although preferable in many vrespects tosurface applications for this purpose, the use of tampons has beenlimited by certain disadvantageous features. The prior art tampons werevdifficult to insert, especially when they had to be large enough toabsorb a heavy flow'of body fluid. This objectionable characteristic wasvparticularly noticeable with catamenial tampons,` where delicatemembranes can be chafed and abradecl by their use. f

The prior art attempted to avoid these handicaps in the use ofcatamenial tamponsby providing a tube or other applicator` throughiwhichthe tampons could be inserted. Another method employed for facilitatingthe insertionvxwasto lubricate the tampon. Neither of theseV methods wassatisfactory, especially as neither.'of-"theml solved the problem ofprovidingsufllcient"bulkjof absorbent material to insure'absorption of aheavy ow. i T- Subsequently, the prior vartsoug'h duce a larger mass ofrabsorbent. matV r pressing the same and providingyacapsule, shell orthimble for retainingtheabsorbentlmaterial in compressed form. Althoughtampons of this type had the advantage of getting a larger mass ofabsorbent material into the vagina1 cavity and the further advantage ofaffording a means for the insertion of medicaments if desired, therevwere certain attendant disadvantages which greatly restricted theiruse. In the rst place,

`the use of a separate capsule or shell made theprevent the expansionofthe absorbent material even after its insertion in thevagina, so'thatit was impossible to utilizethexabsorbent property product too expensivefor popular use. Another defect lay in the necessary thickness of aseparate capsule, as tests showed that such separate capsules upontampons took upwards of an hour to dissolve and to permit absorption ofthe menstrual fluid by the material Within them.

The defects of a separate shell were partly overcome by the developmentof a coated tampon. However, the prior art coated tampons were notadapted for the absorption of as large an amount of menstrual fluid asthe mass of absorbent material which they held seemed to indicate. Forexample, in U S. Patent No. 2,123,750, Schulz described aA catamenialtampon which comprised a cylindrical body of tightly wrapped cottonhaving a lm of methyl cellulose coated upon the surface thereof. Thiscoating was adapted to of the cotton to its full extent. .Methylcellulose alonel disperses veryjslowly atvbest', and very littledispersion of Schulzs coating nlm was effected upon contact "withmenstrual Tfluids of high viscosity and high surface tension. 'f 5 Thus,although many attemptswere made to solve these outstanding pproblexnsofthe prior art, 'none of Athese former attempts. so faras I amaware.proved tovbe satisfactory from a4 popular and commercialstandpoint, and noneof v the devices produced by the prior art werefound to give wholly satisfactory results. I have found l that theseprior art handicaps and disadvantages can be easily and successfullyovercome.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a. method formanufacturing tampons of smooth surface for easyvinsertion into a bodycavity.

It is another object of this invention to provide a method formanufacturing catamenial tampons of compressed absorbent material havinga smooth surface adapted for easy insertion into the female vaginawhereby a large mass of absorbent material can beintroduced thereinwithout danger of abrading delicate vaginal tissues.

It is a further object of the. invention rto provide a method formanufacturing catamenial tampons having a relatively largey mass ofabsorbent material compressed into a relatively small volume ofvsubstantially cylindrical form and having a. smooth coated surfaceadapted to retain saidabsorbent material in "compressed form whiledryandY adapted `to disintegrateupon coming in contact with mex'istrualvuid'tdpermit expansion of the absorbentnmaterial and. ab@` sorptionthereby of a relatively large 'volum said fluid.

1t is also the intenion of thepresentfinven ion to provide a tamponvadaptedfor easyinsertn into a body cavity. whether natural orartificial,

whereby fluid discharges therefrom can be readily absorbed. Y. Y

My invention also providesia catamenial tampon for easyinsertion-intoandrelativelycom` fortable retention Abyjthe `.femalevagina during catamenia for absorption thereof.V

Another object of myv invention istolprovide a catamenial tampon adaptedfor easyvinsertion sorbent material compressed into a relatively smallvolume whereby insertion into body cavities is facilitated.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a catamenial tamponhaving a large mass 'of absorbent material compressedv into a size andshape adapted to facilitate insertion of said tampon into the vaginalcavity and having a coating thereon adapted to retain said mass ofabsorbent material in its original size and shape during insertion.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a catamenial tamponhaving a relatively large mass of absorbent material compressed into arelatively small Vvolume of substantially cylindrical shape and coatedwith a substance smooth when dry, slippery when wet and capable ofretaining the absorbent material in compressed form while dry whereby acatamenial tampon adapted for easy insertion into the vagina isprovided.

It is also within the contemplation of the invention to provide a tamponcomprising compressed absorbent material and a retentive coating ofmaterial having smoothness when dry, slipperiness when wet and stabilityunder ordinary atmospheric conditions, said coating being capable ofdisintegration upon Contact with body fluids to permit expansion of theabsorbent material and to give increased absorption of said fluids.

The invention further purposes to provide a catamenial tampon ofcompressed absorbent material having a retentive coating or lm capableof rapid disintegration upon contact with fluids of high viscosity andhigh surface tension whereby a relatively large mass of absorbentmaterial can be introduced into the vagina in relatively small volumeand can there expand upon contact with menstrual fluid to absorb arelatively large volume of said fluid.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a catamenial tamponof compressed absorbent material having a retentive coating upon atleast one end thereof capable of retaining said absorbent material incompressed form for insertion into operative position.

This invention has the additional purpose of providing a catamenialtampon of compressed absorbent material having a retentive coating uponthe surface thereof, said coating being of novel composition having theproperties of smoothness when dry, slipperiness when wet and stabilityunder ordinary atmospheric conditions to facilitate the insertion of thetampon into the vaginal cavity in operative position and being capableof disintegration upon contact with the menstrual fluid to permitexpansion of the absorbent material and to give increased absorption ofsaid menstrual fluid, thereby providing a catamenial tampon havingflexibility, smoothness,

slip, and lubricant properties whereby said tampon can be readilyinserted into the vagina without irritation and chaflng thereof.

Moreover, the invention has in view the provision of a. catamenialtampon having a coating composition comprising a water-dispersible,illmforming material capable of retaining a relatively large mass ofabsorbent material in a relatively small volume whereby the insertioninto the vagina of a mass of absorbent material capable of absorbing alarge volume of menstrual iluid is greatly facilitated.

It is also an aim of my invention to provide a catamenial tampon havinga coating film upon the surface thereof, said film including a surfacetension reduotant capable of lowering the surface tension of themenstrual iluld to permit the rapid penetration into the tampon of arelatively large volume of said menstrual fluid whereby a large volumeof said fluid can be rapidly absorbed.

In addition, this invention provides a catamenial tampon of compressedabsorbent material having a coating film upon the surface thereof, saidillm containing a bland plasticizer for increasing the smoothness andflexibility of said film, thereby providing a tampon which can be easilyinserted in operative position without danger of chailng or irritatingdelicate vaginal membranes.

My invention further provides a coating composition adapted for use oncatamenial tampons comprising a film-forming material capable ofretaining a relatively large mass of absorbent material in a relativelysmall volume whereby the insertion into the vagina of a mass ofabsorbent material capable of absorbing a large volume of menstrualfluid is greatly facilitated.

Furthermore, the invention provides a coating composition adapted foruse on catamenial tampons of compressed absorbent material, saidcomposition comprising a water-dispersible,v lmforming material and asurface tension depressant and being capable of rapidly disintegratingupon contact with menstrual fluid whereby said absorbent material canexpand to absorb a large volume of the menstrual fluid and whereby thecoating composition can be dissolved in said fluid without any residuebeing left in insoluble form therein.

My invention further aims to provide a coating composition adapted foruse on catamenial tampons comprising, in addition to awater-dispersible, film-forming material, a surface-active agent capableof lowering the surface tension of menstrual fluid, thereby providing acoating having a dispersive effect upon said fluid whereby a largevolume of said fluid can rapidly penetrate into the tampon and can berapidly absorbed thereby.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a coatingcomposition adapted for use on catamenial tampons wherein is contained abland plasticizer adapted to increase the slip and flexibility of saidcoating and to facilitate the insertion of the tampon into operativeposition whereby the danger of abrading delicate vaginal tissues isavoided.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description of a preferred embodiment, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of my improvedtampon;

Fig. 2 shows a'vertical sectional view of said embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved tampon in an open positionto show its internal construction; and

Fig. 4 depicts a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modification of myinvention, partly broken away to indicate its structure.

Broadly stated, the present invention provides a tampon having an amountof absorbent material sufllciently large to absorb the quantity of nuidexpected to be discharge from the body cavity into which it is adaptedto be inserted. The absorbent material is rolled or plaited or coatingat only one end of the tampon.

if desired, only the end which is first introduced otherwisebroughtir'ito' a form adaptable for insertion into the body cavity. Whenproviding tampons for absorption of catamenia, I have found that themost convenient form for the tampon to take is that of a cylindricalbody hav-v ing one end rounded.l A draw string or other withdrawal meansis wrapped or otherwise anchored in the rolls or plaits of absorbentmaterial.

My catamenial tampon can be tightly rolled or otherwise compressed intoa small enough volume to permit of its being inserted into the vaginalcavity. I have found that the use of heat at about 70 to about 400 F.,and preferably at about 300 F., is effective in further compressing theabsorbent material. A coating is provided upon sion also facilitatesabsorption of said fluids by the cotton of the tampon. About 0.01 toabout 40%, and preferably about 1 to about 10%, of the surface-activeagent has been found to give satisfactory results in my novelcomposition.

\ It will be appreciated that the surface-active agent selected must befree from toxicity and V- from any irritant effect.

the surface of the tampon to retain the absorbent material in thiscompressed form and to furnish a smooth, flexible surface. that both ofthese factors contribute to facilitating the insertion of the tampon.

' In coating the tampon, I have found that satisfactory results can beobtained by applying the Thus,

into the vaginal cavity, that is, the preferably rounded end, need becoated with my novel composition.

For most eifective use, the coating composition must have the desirableproperties of smoothness when dry and slipperiness when wet. The coatingshould remain stable under ordinary atmos- My lnovel coating compositioncomprises a.

film-forming substance which is adapted to provide a binding orretentive surface for the purpose of retaining the absorbent material incompressed form. The coating also serves to prevent irritation oidelicate tissues by the roughness of the cotton bres at the tip of thetampon, upon introducing the same into the- `vaginal tract. Thisfilm-forming substance, while strong enough to resist the expansiveforce of the compressed material, is waterdispersible, so that it canreadily dissolve in the body fluids, especially in the presence ofsurface tension depressants. The rapid dispersion of the lmor coatingpermits the swift penetration of these body fluids into the compressedcotton and simultaneously allowsy the cotton"to expand to facilitate theabsorption of a relatively large volume of the fluids.l dispersible,film-forming substance is present in my coating composition to an amountof about 30 to about99%, and preferably about 64 to about 75%.

The coating according to my invention also contains a` surface-activeagent adapted to deis dissolved. Since the menstrual fluid is of It willbe appreciated This water-- relatively high viscosity and of highsurface tension, it isA desirable to employ such a surface tensionreductant, so that the surface tension of the menstrual iiuid is loweredto permit its rapid penetration into the film or coating. 'I'his has theeffect of increasing the rate of dispersison of the film into the bodyuids. Moreover, the lowering of viscosity and surface ten- Although thewater-dispersible, film-forming substance of my composition is selectedwith a view to its providing a smooth surface when dry and slipperinesswhenwet, I prefer to include a water-dispersible fatty or waxy substancein my coating composition for slightly increasing .the slip andAlubricant properties of the coating. While the addition of such asubstance is not essential, I consider it desirable to provide a coatingcomposition which has about 0.5` to about 30%, and preferably about 1 toabout 10%, of such fatty or waxy substance. The substance selectedshould be characterized by blandness and, of course, should not beharmful to the delicate vaginal tissues. p

I have found that, after a period of atmospheric dryness, there is atendency for some of my coatings tov become inflexible. At times, when-using certain compositions and in an extremely dry climate, thisiniiexibility may develop into brittleness. Since flexibility is adesirable quality in my improvedl tampons, greatly facilitating theirready insertion into the vaginal cavity, and since. brittleness may leadto the danger of chaflng or abrading the vaginal membranes, I prefer toinclude an amount of plastlcizer in my coating composition, especiallywhere the tampons are expected to be stocked in a dry climate. About 1to about 40%, and preferably about 25 to about 32%, of plasticizer hasbeen found sufficient to give satisfactory results. When an excessiveamount of plasticizer is added to the composition, the coating upon thetampon tends to become soft, sticky and unstable, especially in ratherhumid weather.

In selecting a water-dispersible film-forming substance for my novelcomposition, I have found a wide variety of materials to be adaptablefor my purpose, although some of these are`more diflcultly dispersiblethan others. Thus, satis-l factory results have been obtained by the useof gelatin, dextrin, glucose, methyl cellulose, sodium alginate, ulmus,agar, polyvinyl alcohol, polybasic borates'such afs glycol borate orglycerol borate, or practically any natural or syntheticwater-dispersible gums or resin. Alkali soaps, such as castile soap. andtriethanolamine stearate can also be satisfactorily employed.

Among the gums or resins which I have successfully employed are Irishmoss,- gum acacia, gum tragacanth, gum karaya, gum ghatti, quince seedgum, carob seed gum, and psyllium seed gum. I havey found that any ofthese substances may be used, either singly or in mixtures of two ormore,

as the hlm-forming constituents of my novel coating composition. f

My surface-active agent is a non-toxic, nonirritant substance having asignificant depressant eifect upon the surface tension of body fluids.Among the substances which I have found suitable for use in my coatingcomposition are included the following chemical classes: quaternaryammonium salts, where the nitrogen atom bears an aliphatic group orgroups `of at least eight carbon atoms, such as dioctyl methyl ammoniumthe sulfuric ester of aliphatic acid esters of glycol,

R-COOCaHiSOiNa, where R represents any alkyl y group of about 8 to about34 carbon atoms and Na stands for sodium or other alkali metal ion, suchas`the potassium sulfated ester of glycol laurate; alkali metal salts ofalkyl aromatic sulfonic acids, such as sodium dodecanyl naphthalenesulfonate; alkali metal sulfates of an allnvl ester of a dibasic acid ofthe succinic acidv type, ROOC'CH2CHSO4NaCOO-R, where R is any alkylgroup of about 8'to about 34 carbon` atoms and Na represents sodium orother alkali metal ion, as, for example, the sodium dioctyl sulfate ofsuccinic acid; alkali metal secondary alcohol sulfates, such as thesodium sulfate of dioctyl carbinol; polyhydric alcohols, such assorbitol and mannitol; alkanol-yamines, such as ethanolamine andpropanolamine; alkali metal salts of sulfonated oils, such as the sodiumsalts of sulfonated castor oil and sulfonated olive oil; and alkalicarbonates, borates, ortho, metaand pyro-phosphates, and silicates.Indeed, almost any of the non-toxic, non-irritant surface-active agentsknown to the art-a representative list is given in the 'Journal ofIndustrial and Engineering Chemistry, volume 31, page 66, (1939) andadditional examples are to be found in the List of CommerciallyAvailable Detergents, Wetting, Dispersing. and Emulsifying Agents," June1940, by H. L. Cupples of the Division of Insecticide Investigations ofthe U. S. Department of Agriculture-can be satisfactorily used inpreparing my novel coating composition.

Just a's the film-forming materials suitable for use in my compositionvary in dispersibility, so have I found that certain of thesurface-active agents herein set forth are of greater efliciency thanothers. Where` a slowlydispersing lmforming substance is employed, amore efficient surface-active agent, or a higher percentage of suchagent, must be added in the composition than where a film-formingsubstance which is rapidly dispersible is used. Thus, methyl celluloseor gelatin, if employed alone for my coating, would take at least anyhour to disperse in body fluids; consequently, when using suchsubstances in the coating composition, a highly effectivesurface-active-agent is required (and in relatively higher proportions)than would be needed if easily-dispersible substances, such as gumacacia or dextrin, were employed. Another factor .which influences .theproportion of surface-activeagent to be added is the amount ofplasticizer present, as less of the former is necessary when the contentof plasticizer is increased.

Fatty or waxy substances for the coating composition according to myinvention can be chosen from the polyhydric alcohol esters of aliphaticacids. Suitable esters are those composed of alcohols having from two toabout six hydroxy groups, such as glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol andsorbitol, and aliphatic acids having about 8 to about -34 carbon atoms,such as stearic, cerotic and brassidic acids. Thus, I have found glycolmonostearaterlyceryl monomyrlstate or sorbitol monopalmitate to besatisfactory for my purpose. Mixturesof two or more of these esters canbe employed as the fatty or waxy constituent of my composition.

I have found that the polyhydric alcohols having from two to about sixhydroxyl groups can be successfully used as plasticizers in preparing mycoating composition. Ethylene glycol, glycerol, sorbitol,alpha-propylene glycol or mannitol or mixtures of these alcohols, whenincluded in the coating of my tampon, provide a product which isflexible and free from brittleness and which can be inserted withoutdanger of abrading the delicate tissues of the vaginal cavity.Polyhydric alcohols are also included in the 'example of classes ofsurface-active agents which I have disclosed supra, and it will beappreciated that some substances may have more than one property whichis of value in formulating my coating composition. Thus, sorbitol, whichis preferably utilized as a plasticizer, also acts as a surface tensionreductant for body fluids. Similarly, triethanolamine stearate can beused, not only as a lm former, but as a surface-active agent too.

For the purpose of giving those skilled in the art a betterunderstanding of carrying the invention into practice, illustrativeembodiments thereof will now be described.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing, a sheet of absorbent cotton Iof about three and one-half inches in length and of suitable width andthi-ckness has a loop of string 2 passed about 'its approximate middle(see especially Fig. 3),

and the sheet of cotton is then doubled over this string. The cotton isthen tightly compressed in substantially cylindrical form, the loop ofstring thus being securely anchored therewithin to serve as a drawstring. While still under compression, the cylinder is heated to about300 F., whereby an ironing effect is produced, and the end of thecylinder opposite to that folded over the draw string is then roundedolf. This rounded end is then dipped into a solution of my novel coatingcomposition, and the composition is allowed to dry to form a coating 3thereon.' It will be appreciated that the coating may instead be appliedover the full length of the tampon, although the expansion of theabsorbent cotton throughout its uncoated portion is of only slightdegree and is not objectionable when the leading end of the tampon ismaintained in compressed and constricted form.

In another modiilmtion of my invention, a square layer of absorbentcotton I of about 31/2 inches on a side is placed upon a piece of gauze4 of approximately equal dimensions and having a mesh of about 20 toabout A160 threads per inch.

, As shown in Fig. 4, the gauze 4 thus serves as-a backing for theabsorbent cotton I, and the two are then tightly rolled, preferably.spirally, into cylindrical form. When rolling the cylinder, a`

d loop of string 2 is securely wrapped into the rolls with one end ofthe loop extending from an end of the cylinder to serve as a drawstring. In this construction, it is evident that the gauze is around theentire outer surface of the absorbent cotton.

As is well known, a tampon made of cotton alone' or of gauge alone isdiicult to insert into the vaginal cavity and, upon being introduced,causes chafing of the vaginal tissues. This new structural modification,however, produces an intermeshing of surface cotton fibers and gauze,resulting in a smooth, satin-like finish. The cylinder is then subjectedto a heat of about 300 F.

to produce an ironing effect. fThe end of the v `cylinder opposite fromthat from whichthe draw string protrudes is thereafter rounded off.

While the tampon, even in this form, is sunll ciently smooth to givegreater ease of insertion are greatly increased by coating thetamponwith 1c `I Y- Similarly, the following combination can be my novelcomposition. To accomplish this ,the f: entire tampon is dipped into asolution of my coating composition to form a coating 3 thereon. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that the coating may instead beapplied only to the rounded end of the tampon as in the modificationdescribed supra. The coating is then permitted to dry at a moderatetemperature about C. to about 50 vC.), and the tampon is ready for use.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing, a great number ofcombinations of the constituents which I have set forth can be preparedfor use as a coating composition `for my improved tampon. A few examplesof illustrative compositions which have produced satisfactory coatingsAfor my pury pose will now be given.

Example No. 1

A mixture containing the following constituents Within the indicatedranges is dissolved in suflicient water to give a solution of desiredconsistency:

i Per cent Gum acacia About 59 to about '75 Sorbitol About 24 to about35 Glycol monostearate About 0.5 to about 5 Sodium lauryl sulfate About0.1 to about 5 Satisfactory results have been obtained by coating mytampons with the following mixture dissolved in water in the proportionof about 100 parts of the mixture to about 'I5 parts by weight of Water:

After the tampon is dipped in this solution and permitted to dry, thecoating composition thereon comprises a mixture essentially the same asthat herein set forth.

Example No. 2

Another mixture providing satisfactory coatings can be made up forsolution in water as follows:

Per cent Gum acacia About 6o to about so Sorbitol About 10 to about 30Glyceryl monomyristate About l to about 5 Sodium sulfate of dioctylsuccinate About 0.1 to about 5 A speciiic composition within theseranges contain's the following proportions:

- Per cent Gum'V acacia About 60 Sorbitolr s l j' i About 30 Glyce l'monomyristate. About 5 f Sodiur'ri sulfate of dioctyl succinate About 5l Example No. 3

i .Satisfactory results lare likewise obtained by dissolvingl thefollowing mixture in water and coating a, tampon therewith:

i Per cent Dextrin About 65 to about 80 Glycerol .About 5 to about 25Sorbitol monostearate About 1 to about 10 Sodium salt of sulfonatedolive oil About 1 to about 5 Example No. 4

suitably' substituted for others set forth supra,

when preparing my coating composition.

v l Per cent Sodium oleate.. About 5 to about 15 Propylene glycol`stearaten About 5 to about l5 Glycerol About 5 to about 20 Sodiumpyrophosphate About l to about 10 Gum acacia About 40 to about 60 Myimproved coated tampon successfully overcomes the disadvantages of priorart tampons. The smooth, flexible, retentive coating which I provideholds the absorbentI cotton in compressed form, so that it' can bereadily inserted into the vaginal cavity withouty irritation. Thecoating acquires slipperiness and lubricant properties when wet and'ca'nbel retained with relative comfort. During thejcatamenia, the coating isdisintegrated by the .menstrual-fluid, and the absorbent materialexpands. 'I'he surface-active agent which is present in my coating actsto depress the surface tension of the menstrual fluid, and said fluidrapidly penetrates into the tampon and is absorbed thereby. lIn thismanner, a large volume of menstrual'lvfluid can be absorbed in theincreased volume of the absorbent material. I have found that thecomplete disintegration of the coating rendersv .the tampon equallyabsorptive throughout its entire volume, and, moreover, no part of thecoating remains as an insoluble residue to be subsequently mixed withbody secretions. The fatty or waxy substance which I have provided,though not essential, is useful in giving added smoothness andslipperiness to my coating, and the plasticizer acts to provideflexibility. It will be appreciated that the coating can be prewetted,if desired, to give greater slipperiness for insertion.

It will be observed that my improved tampon comprises a body ofabsorbent material having water-dispersible film-forming means thereuponfor retaining said material in compressed form for easy insertion into abody cavity. Means are also provided for reducing the surface tension ofbody fluids to the end that said fluids may rapidly penetrate the tamponand be absorbed therein. I prefer to provide lubricant means forincreasing the slip of the tampon, and means for plasticizing theproduct are also preferably supplied. While, in general, I havefound itconvenient to employ a coating composition comprising a number ofsubstances, each of which is primarily included to incorporate a singleadvantageous property in the coating and thus to provide one of thedesired means, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatit is easily possible for a single substance to endow the coating withmore than one of these means, as I have shown triethanolamine stearateand Sorbitol to be capable of doing. Thus, there would be no objectionto the use as a coating of a single natural product containing all ofthese principles and in combination as described herein.

The present application is a continuation-infpart of them-pendingapplication, Serial No.

g 312,968, filed on January 8, 1940.

Although my invention has been described in connection with preferredembodiments and with specific examples, it will be observed thatvariations and modifications may be resorted to, as those skilled in theart will understand. These variations and modifications are consideredto be within the scope of the present specification and the purview ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an improved vaginal tamponcomprising a body of compressed absorbent material capable, only in theexpanded state, of absorbing an expected amount of aqueous body fluid; afilm-forming material bonded to the outer periphery of said body, saidfilm-forming material being adapted to hold said compressed absorbentmaterial in the compressed state, only when dry: and a surface tensiondepressant dispersed in said film-forming material and capable oflowering the surface tension of aqueous body fluids, said surfacetension depressant being adapted to cause rapid disintegration of saidfilm-forming material without leaving a substantial residue when incontact with aqueous body fluids thereby releasing the absorbentmaterial from the compressed state to the expanded state and saidsurface tension depressant being adapted to reduce the viscosity of themenstrual fluid to permit rapid penetration of a relatively large volumeof menstrual fluid into the expanded absorbent material.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an improved vaginal tamponcomprising a body of compressed absorbent material capable, only in theexpanded state, of absorbing an expected amount f aqueous body fluid; afilm-forming material bonded to the outer periphery o1' said body, saidfilm-forming material being adapted to hold said compressed absorbentmaterial in the compressed state only when dry; and a surface tensiondepressant dispersed in said film-forming material and capable oflowering the surface tension of aqueous body fluids, said surfacetension depressant being adapted to cause rapid disintegration of saidfilm-forming material without leaving a substantial residue when incontact with aqueous body fluids thereby releasing the absorbentmaterial from the compressed state to the expanded state and saidsurface tension depressant being adapted to permit rapid penetration ofa relatively large volume of aqueous body fluids into the expandedabsorbent material.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a vaginal tampon comprising asubstantially cylindrical body of compressed fibrous absorbent material,

capable, only in the expanded state, of absorbing an expected amount ofaqueous body fluid; a :filmforming material bonded to the outerperiphery of at least one end of said cylindrical body said film-formingmaterial being adapted to hold said compressed absorbent material in thecompressed state, only when dry; and a surface tension depressantdispersed in said film forming material.

and capable of lowering the surface tension of aqueous body fluids, saidsurface tension depressant being adapted to cause rapid disintegrationof said film-forming material without leaving a substantial residue whensaid fl1m-forming material comes in contact with aqueous body fluidsthereby releasing the absorbent material from the compressed state tothe expanded state and said surface tension depressant being adapted toreduce the viscosity of the menstrual fluid to permit rapid penetrationof a relatively large volume i of said menstrual fluid into the expandedabsorbent material.

4. As a new article of manufacture, an improved vaginal tamponcomprising a substantially cylindrical body of compressed absorbentcotton sufncient, only in the expanded state, to absorb an expectedamount of aqueous body fluid; a mixture of gum acacia, about 59% toabout 75%,`

glycol mono- Lwithout leaving a substantial residue thereby releasingthe absorbent cotton from the compressed state to the expanded state andsaid sodium lauryl sulfate being adapted to reduce the viscosity ofaqueous body fluids to permit rapid penetration of a relatively largevolume thereof into l the expanded absorbent cotton; said glycolmonomixture adapted stearate being adapted to provide a smooth surfacewhen dry and slipperiness when wet; said sorbital being adapted toprovide flexibility and freeness from brittleness.

5. As a new particle of manufacture, a vaginal tampon comprising asubstantially cylindrical body of an amount of compressed absorbentcotton su'icient, only in the expanded state, to absorb an expectedamount of aqueous body fluid; a mixture bonded to the outer periphery ofat least one end of said cylindrical body adapted to retain saidcompressed absorbent cotton in the compressed state, only when dry; saidmixture comprising about 65% to about 80% dextrin, about 5% to about 25%of glycerol, about 1% to about 10% of sorbitol monostearate and about 1%to about 5% of sodium salt of sulfonated olive oil, the totalpercentages of the aforesaid constituents of said mixture amounting toabout said sodium salt of sulfonated olive oil being capable of loweringthe surface tension of aqueous body fluids, being adapted to cause rapiddisintegration of said mixture without leaving a substantial residueonly when in contact with aqueous body fluids thereby releasing theabsorbent cotton from the compressed state to the expanded state andsaid sodium salt of sulfonated olive oil being adapted to reduce theviscosity of aqueous body fluids to permit rapid penetration of arelatively large volume thereof into the expanded absorbent cotton; saidsorbitol monostearate being adapted to provide a smooth surface when dryand slipperiness when wet; and said glycerol being adapted to provideflexibility and freeness from brittleness.

6. As a new article of manufacture, an improved vaginal tamponccmprising a substantially cylindrical body of compressed absorbentcotton, sufficient, only in the expanded state, to absorb an expectedamount of aqueous body fluid; and a to retain the absorbent cotton inthe compressed state, only when dry, bonded to the outer periphery ofsaid absorbent cotton at at least one end thereof; said mixturecomprising about 60% to about 80% gum acacia, about 10% to about 30%sorbitol, about 1% to about 5% glycerol monomyristate, and about 0.1% toabout 5% of sodium sulfate of dioctyl succinate, the total of thepercentages of the aforesaid constituents in said mixture amounting toabout 100%; said sodium sulphate of dioctyl succinate being capable oflowering the surface tension of aqueous body fluids and being adapted tocause rapid disintegration of said mixture without leaving a substantialresidue only when in contact with aqueous body fluids thereby releasingthe absorbent cotton from the compressed state to the expanded state andsaid 10 sodium sulphate of dioctyl succinate being adapted to reduce theviscosity of aqueous body uids to permit rapid penetration of arelatively large volume thereof into the expanded absorbent cotton; saidglycol monornyristate being adapted to provide a, smooth surface whendry and slipperiness when wet; and said sorbitoi being adapted toprovide flexibility and freeness from brittleness.

ARTHUR B. DONOVAN.

